


I bit the apple cuz I loved you, and why would you lie?

by xXidyllicXx



Category: Danganronpa, No Tragedy AU - Fandom, Ultimate Despair Girls
Genre: F/F, F/M, Slow burn (maybe), more of the class will b introduced later but this ain’t about them, uhh idk how to tag this lol
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-13
Updated: 2020-11-13
Packaged: 2021-03-09 19:21:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 15,860
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27541492
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xXidyllicXx/pseuds/xXidyllicXx
Summary: Toko Fukawa’s first year at Hopes Peak Academy is a new page for her. No more bullies and no more parents.None of that.Just one unattainable boy and an extremely annoying room mate.(I do NOT ship Toko and Byakuya. This is about Komaru helping Toko get over him. :)
Relationships: Fukawa Touko/Naegi Komaru, Fukawa Touko/Togami Byakuya
Kudos: 25





	1. Chapter 1

Hope’s Peak Academy, the most prestigious high school within a thousand mile radius. Toko Fukawa trembled slightly at the thought of the people who might be waiting past the tall wrought-iron gates and old fashioned wood doors. Toko took a deep breath. 

This was her first year away from her former classmates from hell and hateful parents. This was a new start. She did her best to keep that in mind as she walked past the gates and confidently stepped through the doors. 

She had to mail most of her belongings and only had her typewriter, tucked safely in its carrying case and a backpack with a few changes of clothes and basic necessities.   
In the main hall, there were tables strewn around in a half circle with students milling around. The table straight ahead of Toko was clearly labeled as where the students would find their dorm numbers, keys, and roommates. A tall girl with light lavender hair was studying the papers, likely looking for her information. Her piercing eyes intimidated Toko and she decided to wait until she moved on to find her own folder. Toko scanned the room again. Most of the tables seemed to be advertising after school clubs, one was for students who needed yet to sign up for meal plans and another, off to the side had complimentary coffee and small donuts. A girl in a red track suit with a tall pony tail stood near it, looking for the perfect flavour donut for the occasion. 

And near her, Toko locked eyes with him. Her throat tightened and she felt her heart rate rise. He was tall and wore a high end suit that was obviously tailored perfectly for him. His eyes were bright green and Toko already felt herself getting lost in them. He seemed to be looking through her. In a spurt of bravery, Toko strode over to the table. Her hands shook slightly as she poured herself a cup of coffee. The tall blond boy barely glanced at her. The donut girl watched Toko for a moment. 

“How do you drink coffee with nothing in it? No sugar or anything?” This caught the blond’s attention and he also looked at Toko, expecting an answer. 

“I-I...” Toko trailed off, her anxiety starting to take hold. ‘No, I can’t do this again. It’s a new start. A new me.’ Toko swallowed the lump in her throat. “I d-don’t need it to be sweet. All I need it for is the caffeine.”

The donut girl scrunched her nose as the blond boy nodded in acknowledgment. 

“Why d-does it matter to you a-anyway?” Toko said defensively. Toko cursed herself for stuttering as she had done hundreds of times before, but did her best not to show it. 

“I guess it doesn’t.. I think we got off on the wrong start.” The girl held her hand out to Toko excitedly. “I’m Aoi Asahina! I’m here on a sports scholarship.” 

Toko hesitated a moment before taking Aoi’s hand. “M-my name is Toko Fukawa. I’m a writer.” 

“The Toko Fukawa? The blond boy interjected. 

“Um, y-yes.?” Toko wondered if that was the right answer, as the blond seemed. Unimpressed. 

“Hm. You’re much more,” He paused and looked Toko over, “Scrappy than I would have imagined. My name is Byakuya Togami. I am the heir to the Togami Family throne, if you’re too unobservant to connect the pieces yourself.”

Byakuya Togami. Toko repeated the name in her head a few times. It suited him well. Despite the underlying insults in his words, Toko couldn’t help but feel drawn to him. He radiated confidence and the air of new money. 

“Woah, I can’t believe we’re going to school with a Togami!” Aoi mostly said this to Toko, but Byakuya’s look of disdain made it clear he heard. 

The tall, purple haired girl moved past the trios table swiftly, and Toko remembered she still needed to find her dorm and collect her key. 

“I-it was nice meeting you, b-but I need to go.” Toko hurried away before either of her classmates could respond. 

The other students must have already gotten their rooming information, as Toko stood alone at the table. There were few folders left, likely from tardy students. Toko found hers quickly and moved to lean against a pillar behind the table. She set her typewriter down and opened the folder. Her room number was at the top of the page in a large font. 309. Floor three, room nine. Underneath was her roommates name. Komaru Naegi.   
‘Well that’s awfully plain for a name.’ She thought to herself. In the folder pocket there was an old skeleton key. Toko was certain the school had enough money to upgrade their security system, but she thought it was endearing and rubbed the worn metal idly.   
Toko thought back to her roommate and scanned the room for anyone who looked like a Komaru. She elected to see if this Komaru had picked up her folder yet, and she found that her folder still laid on the table. Next to it was a folder for someone named Makoto Naegi. Were they siblings? No, otherwise they wouldn’t both be freshmen. ‘They must be twins then.’ Toko decided. 

Toko tucked her own folder under her arm, collected her case and followed the signs pointing towards the dormitory wing.   
She hoped that her roommate wouldn’t be bothersome. Even if they became friends, Toko valued her quiet time and chose to be alone, usually writing, during her time away from school. 

Toko was pulled from her thoughts as she waited by the elevator with a few other students. A small girl with a green sweater and spiky brown hair gave Toko a nervous smile. Toko smiled back, but opted not to say anything. A short boy with a dark buzz cut and flashy white uniform stared intently as the elevator number lowered. His posture was stiff and it seemed that the only thing in the world he cared about was tracking those numbers. The doors then opened before the group and they silently stepped on. They each chose their floor numbers, with the short boy on floor two and the girl joining Toko on floor three. 

They arrived at their floor quickly and parted ways with a polite nod. Toko found her room and stepped inside. She had stepped into a living room like area. There was a couch against the wall, with a small coffee table and a TV mounted on the other side of the room. Toko shut the door quietly and set her things down on the coffee table. She poked around the dorm, figuring out the layout. The living room separated two halves of the dorm, one side with two small, identical bedrooms and on the other side a full bathroom and kitchenette. Toko happily noted that there was a small washer and dryer tucked into the bathroom. 

Suddenly the door to the hallway flew open, and Toko jumped, eyes wide with fear.   
A girl with a dirty blonde bob bounced into the dormitory, practically vibrating with excitement. 

“Oh my god! You must be Toko Fukawa! Like crazy writer extraordinaire Toko Fukawa!!”Komaru’s loud voice left Toko’s ears ringing and she sighed, already anticipating the headaches her roommate would bring her.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so this chapter starts to talk about toko and syos relationship, i’m doing my best to be well researched and respectful when talking about DID but please call me out if anything is wrong or disrespectful in any way :) idk why but i think i accidentally posted the first chapter twice so we’re trying again lol

“I am, and you must be Komaru Naegi?”  
Komaru nodded excitedly and then turned away from Toko, looking around the dorm. 

“Woah this is huge! I mean what else is there to expect from the Hope’s Peak.” Komaru looked into each of the bedrooms and then came back to where Toko stood outside of the bathroom, peaking over her shoulder. 

“We even have a bathtub?!” Komaru seemed like she would burst at any moment.   
Toko nodded again, unsure of how to react. Komaru didn’t seem to care if she responded either way, and began opening cupboards in their shared kitchenette. They were bare. If they wanted food in their rooms they would have to provide it themselves. Komaru seemed disappointed but Toko didn’t care much. The cafeteria was open almost all hours for students with meal plans. 

As Komaru moved to poke around the bathroom, Toko decided to lay claim on one of the bedrooms. She chose the one closest to the living room, not that the difference mattered. There was a twin sized bed in the corner across from the door, and across in the other direction was a desk with a wooden chair and a lamp. The bed was neatly made with royal blue bedding. On the bed there was a robe with the Hope’s Peak crest embroidered on the chest and a towel under that. Toko was starting to see exactly what made the tuition as high as it was. 

Toko set her typewriter on the desk and started unpacking her clothes. She left her worn pajamas hanging over the chair. There wasn’t room for a dresser, but the closet was plenty big enough for her. Toko had brought her favorite sweater, a dark plum coloured turtle neck, and a few long skirts of different shades of grey. She brought a pair of comfortable jeans and nice slacks, but didn’t anticipate wearing them often. 

Once that was taken care of, Toko started to unpack her typewriter. She opened the sleek black case and undid the mechanism that holds it in the case. She gently slid the case off the edge of the table with her elbows as she set the typewriter on the desk. The case fell with a solid thud, but Toko knew it was fine as it had taken much worse falls. 

Komaru must have heard it though, and hurried into Toko’s room. 

“What was that? I thought you fell and hit your head on something!” Komaru seemed worried at first, but seeing Toko sitting at the desk quelled that. 

“I’m fine, I just d-dropped something. Haven’t you heard of knoc-“ Toko stopped when Komaru rushed over to the desk, standing above Toko. 

“A typewriter?!? That’s so cool that you write everything on this! I bet it’s so hard to maintain and-“ Komaru reached to type something but Toko slapped her hand away. 

“D-don’t touch it please. It is hard to maintain and I-I don’t need people m-messing it up.” Toko wasn’t an assertive person but this was one thing she refused to budge on. She saved every quarter and penny she found as a kid to afford it. She poured over it making sure it was kept in perfect working order. It was her baby. 

Komaru looked hurt for a moment, but hid it quickly. 

“Oh, I’m sorry I won’t touch it. Do they even make stuff for something this old anymore?” 

“They do, b-but it’s not hard to find the original ribbon anyways.” 

“The ribbon...” Komaru looked over the machine, searching for what piece that could be. She finally found it and pointed to it, careful to keep her hand a few inches away from the machine. “That’s right there right? That black piece next to the paper? What does it do?”

Toko’s cold demeanor started to melt some. She loved talking about this stuff. 

“Yeah that’s it. It’s covered in i-ink and then,” Toko hit one of the keys slowly to demonstrate, “The arm r-reaches out, hits the ribbon which is w-what makes it print.”

Komaru seemed to be in awe. Toko smiled slightly, and slowly typed out Komaru’s name. 

“Like that.” Toko released the paper and pulled it out, handing it to Komaru. 

“That’s so cool! How did people ever come up with that? How do you reload it?”

Toko grabbed the stack of paper from her case, sliding all of it into one of the desk drawers and picking a page off the top. She used to same button to release the paper to open the small metal plate that keeps the paper flush to the wheel and slid it in. As far as type writers go, her’s was newer and the paper guided itself to wrap around everything it needed to. She closed the metal plate and used the wheel to adjust so the typewriter was ready to go at the top left corner of the page. 

“That’s amazing, it looks like second nature for you. I could never do that every time I needed a new paper. What if you mess up?” 

“You p-pull the paper out, and just use a little b-bit of w-white out. It’s really simply once you g-get used to it.” 

Komaru seemed to have a million more questions, but before she could ask any, they heard an announcement from the hall saying that dinner was being served in the cafeteria. While there weren’t speakers in the dorms, the volume of the ones in the hall more than made up for that. 

“Oh, I gotta go! I promised Makoto I’d eat with him.” Komaru’s short attention span was pulled away from the typewriter instantly and she bolted out of the room and into the hall. 

Toko was relieved to be alone for a moment. She decided to change out of her former schools uniform for dinner. It was courtesy to wear it at first for many schools, but Toko was tired of the reminder of her old school. She pulled out her plum sweater with a black skirt and changed quickly. She tucked her room key into her pocket and closed her door firmly. 

Making sure to lock the hallway door, Toko prayed that Komaru wouldn’t make a habit of bursting into her room uninvited. 

Toko was on the elevator alone and reached the first floor swiftly. The cafeteria was directly across from the three elevators, with big glass windows and two sets of doors. She didn’t bother with finding a place to sit and went right to the line for food. She was lucky that her scholarship included the meal plan, and judging by the smell, the food was going to be delicious. On one side there was a cooler filled with different drinks, snacks, and premade food like sandwiches and salads. On the other there was a line for a meal option that changed daily, as well as burgers and pizza. 

Toko decided to get a salad. She spent years eating cheap frozen food and couldn’t remember the last time she had the chance to eat something fresh. She also got a water and waited in line to scan her card. In front of her was a short boy with the same dirty blond hair as Komaru had. She couldn’t see his face, but she had the inkling that this was her brother. After he checked out, she watched him buzz over to a table. Komaru was waving to him from there, which confirmed her theory. 

Toko finished checking out herself and stepped to the side, looking for a place to sit. The room was buzzing with people talking and getting to know each other. She spotted an empty table and started towards it, deciding that if people want to know her they would come to her, not the other way around. Seconds before she set her salad down, a plate was set down firmly across from her. 

“Do you mind?” Toko looked up and there was Byakuya, as assertive as ever. Next to him was the purple haired girl from the main hall. 

Toko froze, the anxiety swelling up again. The purple haired girl spoke up. 

“Byakuya, there’s plenty enough room for three people, leave her alone.” 

Toko sighed with relief and sat down silently. She expected the pair to sit as far from her as they could. That’s how it always went. Surprisingly, they sat across from her. 

“My names Kyoko Kirigiri. What about you?” Toko didn’t understand. This woman was terrifying to her and yet her voice sounded so kind. 

“I-I’m Toko Fukawa.” Kyoko started to introduce Byakuya, but he cut her off. 

“No it’s fine. We’ve already met.” The odd trio ate in silence, aside from the background noise coming from all the other tables. Toko couldn’t help but steal glances at the other two, trying to find a reason to start a conversation. 

Toko opened her mouth to speak, but was interrupted by a girl in a lacy, lolita style dress with long black curls hanging from either side of her head. She set her tray down next to Toko and looked at Kyoko.

“You’re Kirigiri, are you not? The headmasters daughter?” She a thick french accent with a sickly sweet lilt to it. 

“That’s correct, and you are?” Kyoko’s demeanor shifted and it was easy to tell she was becoming more defensive. 

“I am Celestia Ludenburg. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” She sat down gracefully and looked at the rest of the group. “And you two?” 

Toko’s brain stuttered to a halt. How did she end up with this group? The headmasters child, the Togami heir and.. and whoever this Celestia is. She’s obviously rich as well. Byakuya pulled her from her thoughts. 

“I am Byakuya Togami, I’m sure you’ve heard of the Togami Family before. And that’s Toko Fukawa. The writer.” Hearing Byakuya say her name made Toko’s heart flutter. 

“Oh a Togami, how wonderful. And a writer? Have you been published?”

Of course she wouldn’t know Toko’s career. It’s obviously too low level for someone as high class as her. 

“Yes actually. I-I’m currently working on m-my thirty first b-book. I wrote So Lingers The Ocean as well, if you k-know it.”

“Ah yes. The heart broken maiden and her lover lost at sea. How heart wrenchingly poetic.”

Toko sensed the sarcasm in her voice and decided to continue eating while the other three talked about whatever it is rich and famous people talk about. She finished her food quickly and stood to throw away the empty container. As she started to walk away, Byakuya tapped her elbow. 

“Take mine too, will you?” Toko felt herself blush and without thinking took his plate. As she walked away she realized how foolish she was. What kind of person mindlessly clears the table for someone who they barely know? Toko decided against going back to the table and instead went back up to her dorm. 

Komaru was still gone when she got there. It was only 6:45 pm, but Toko decided to start getting ready to go to bed. She took her tooth brush and toothpaste with her to the bathroom. She stared at herself in the mirror.

“I m-must have looked so s-stupid next to them..” She muttered to herself. “I’m sure they’re already t-telling people about the g-gross, scrawny girl wh-who had th-the audacity to sit w-with them.” She cursed herself and quickly finished brushing her teeth. 

“I-I bet stupid Byakuya thinks I’m some dumb gullible girl that’ll just do w-whatever he asks..” She crossed her arms and flopped down on the couch in frustration. Her mind wandered for a moment, turning the thought over in her head. She caught herself blushing again and started fidgeting with her braids. 

Toko was startled from her day dream by Komaru entering the dorm, with the boy Toko assumed was her brother behind her. 

“Toko! I’m glad you’re here, I wanted you to meet my brother Makoto.” Makoto smiled and gave a small wave. Toko waved back. Komaru grinned and started to show Makoto around. Toko went to her room to let them do their thing. 

She laid down on the bed, listening to the twins chat and share stories through the wall. She faintly wondered what it was like to have a sibling. Sure, her and Syo were close but she knew deep down it would never be the same.

She remembered fondly all the times Syo had helped her pick herself back up again and defended her mercilessly. A moment of panic struck her at the thought of Syo fronting at school. She was plenty kind to Toko, but the last thing she needed was Syo exploding on a classmate. Toko had tried working with her on it, but it was hard when they could barely communicate on a good day. Before she realized what was happening, Toko fell asleep.


	3. Chapter 3

Toko woke up suddenly, her whole body stiff. She couldn’t tell what time it was and struggled to pull the blinds open. Her glasses pinched her nose; she had forgotten to take them off before bed. Once the blinds were open she saw the sun was just under the horizon. She took her glasses off and rubbed the bridge of her nose where they had left two indentations. The bed was still mostly made. Toko had dozed off so early she was still in her clothes from the day before and hadn’t even gotten under the covers. Her head felt groggy, like waking up from a nap at night. She checked her phone and confirmed that it was morning, 6:13 to be exact.

Toko put her glasses back on and leaned on the window sill above her bed. The skyline was just barely illuminated by the rising sun, but it was still beautiful. She thought about all the people in their apartments and houses and offices that were just starting their day too. 

Unlucky suckers. She still had a free day until school officially started to find her classes, meet her teachers, and get familiar with the campus. She had seen pictures of the school’s library on the website and couldn’t wait to explore it. It looked like something from a movie. 

Toko pulled herself out of bed and made her way to the kitchen. She thought that Komaru would be up at the crack of dawn with how much energy she had, but judging by the gentle snores she heard from the other bedroom, she was still asleep. The one thing the school provided for students’ kitchenettes was coffee, as well as a handful of dishes. Toko set up the coffee. She hoped Komaru liked her coffee strong; Toko couldn’t stand weak coffee. She leaned against the wall as she waited for the pot to brew. 

The machine hissed and spit as she planned out her day. Breakfast was served at seven, so she had time to get around and maybe even get some writing done if she really wanted. After eating, she planned to follow her school schedule around the building and find her classrooms. Hopefully if she finished early she could do so without running into any of the teachers. After that, she could go to the library. She’d happily hole herself up there for the rest of her life if she could. 

The coffee pot slowed to a stop and as she poured herself a cup, she heard Komaru’s door slowly creak open. Komaru’s eyes were hardly open as she stumbled towards Toko in the kitchen. Her hair was a mess, it was practically standing on end, although Toko assumed her hair was probably the same. 

“Coffee?” She mumbled. 

“Uh yeah, I just m-made a pot. T-there’s no creamer, I don’t think.”

“‘s fine I got milk from the cafeteria.” Komaru made her coffee and pulled herself up the sit on the counter. They both drank in comfortable silence. With each sip, you could see Komaru start to come to life. 

“Any big plans for today?” She asked. 

“I p-planned to check out the library. The pictures are s-stunning.” Komaru chuckled a bit at that. 

“W-what?” Toko said defensively. 

“Nothin. I just forgot you were a book nerd.”  
“I-I am not! Reading exercises the brain and and m-makes you smarter!”

“I’m just messing with you, no need to get your panties in a twist.” 

Toko huffed and took and long drink of coffee to hide her face. “It’s very unseemly to t-talk about p-people’s undergarments.” She muttered to herself. Komaru rolled her eyes and with that Toko stormed to her room to get dressed so she could leave. 

Toko quickly changed into a plain grey sweater and decided that her black skirt from the day before was still nice enough to wear again. She sat on the bed and untangled her braids, gently brushing them out and then rebraiding them. She gave herself a once over in front of the mirror on the inside of her closet door before packing up her typewriter and leaving her bedroom. 

Komaru had migrated to the couch by the time Toko was ready to leave and stopped her before she could make it to the door. 

“I really didn’t mean to upset you, um. I’m sorry.” 

Toko shrugged her hand off her shoulder, mumbled a quick, “It’s fine,” and left. 

Outside the elevator there was a small group of people waiting. Toko recognized the girl she had ridden the elevator with on the first day and. Sayaka Maizono?

Toko did a double take, and sure enough the pop star stood in front of her, clear as day. Sayaka didn’t seem to be up for conversation, so Toko did her best to act normal as the elevator stopped on the second floor. 

The person who stepped on had bright orange hair and a matching goatee. His clothes were all bright white with silver studs around the collar and cuffs. 

“Leon!!” Sayaka hugged him excitedly as the elevator continued to descend. “I didn’t think you’d wake up on time!” The redhead, Leon, blushed and laughed. The elevator stopped and Toko didn’t catch the rest of their conversation before they walked away. 

Toko and the other girl split paths and again Toko was alone in the cafeteria. Well, there were plenty of other students there, but no one she recognized yet. She hoped that she could find Kyoko, she was nice. And maybe she would be with Byakuya again...

The food line wasn’t nearly as busy as it was the night before. The meal that was available was pancakes with bacon. Toko couldn’t understand how anyone could eat something so sweet in the morning, and unsurprisingly saw Aoi in line, talking with a tall, muscular girl. She was terrifying. Toko grabbed a bagel as well as another coffee, one of the fancy cold brew ones. She made her way through the check out quickly and headed to the table she had eaten at the night before. 

Celestia joined Toko, sitting across from her at the table where Byakuya was the day before. Her tray was piled with fresh fruit and whipped cream, all next to a neat pile of pancakes. She nodded politely to Toko and started eating. 

“So you’re working on a book right now? What’s it about? You seem the bodice-ripper type to me.” Toko looked up at Celestia, offended. 

“I would n-never write such filth. My stories have m-meaning, books like that leave a stain on the writing community!”

“No need to be offended, it was just a question. You’ve got the brightest imagination in the school, I can’t imagine you’ve never once written about something so... enticing.” Celestia’s honey sweet tone couldn’t hide the venom she was spitting, but regardless Toko blushed a dark red. She knew Celestia was baiting her and somehow managing to push all of her buttons. Toko stood up quickly and stormed away, throwing her food away on the way out. She stopped in the entrance hall and dug in her skirt pocket for her schedule. 

She unfolded the crumpled page and started off towards the opposite wing of the building where the classrooms where. The first level had a large pool, which was mostly empty aside from a few people doing laps. Next to that was a gym with all sorts of equipment. Inside was the short dark haired kid from the first day. He seemed to be having some sort of competition with another student. 

Across the hall were the doors to the library. While the gym and pool had clear glass all around them, the only way to know you were standing outside of the library was the identifying plate above the door. Toko knew if she went in now she wouldn’t leave until curfew, and she dreaded not knowing where her classes were on the first day. 

At the end of the hall there was an elevator. She glanced at her schedule and saw that all of her classes where on the second floor. She assumed the floors were sorted by grade and took the short ride up alone. Her classes were pretty basic, English, Algebra, History, Biology, and a creative writing class. Each student has a class that’s specific to growing their skill set. Toko had an editor already and didn’t see the point in the class at all. She had her own personal projects to work on, she didn’t need meaningless assignments piled on top of them. At least it would be an easy A. 

Her classes were easy enough to find, and none of the teachers had arrived yet. A handful of other students milled around, but none of them made an effort to talk to her. She peeked through the small classroom windows. They weren’t very different from any of the other classrooms she had seen in her life. 

Toko made her way back down to the first floor and to the towering library doors. She pushed them open and stepped inside. The comforting smell of old books washed over her and she signed happily. The library was multilevel, and was the height of the building. There was a large spiral staircase in the center that went to each floor. The first floor, where Toko stood, was mostly tables for studying. She walked past them to the shelves and found that they were filled with textbooks. She made her way to the staircase. It was a steep incline but she got up to the second floor regardless. 

Compared to the openness of the first floor, this level was a claustrophobes nightmare. There was one long hallway that parted walls and walls of shelves. Toko paced up and down it, looking for a place to sit. There were benches scattered around, but she was looking for a table. She decided to explore down one of the towering aisles. They were at least double her height with sliding ladders. It was like a dream come true to Toko. She paused to scan the shelves. Like a scene from a cheesy movie, she somehow found herself in front of her own book collection. Even after years of writing, it was still surreal to see her books on display. Sure, she had a few copies of each, but to see them in her schools library was completely different. 

Toko moved on, and at the end of the aisle found a table with two chairs on either side. She set her typewriter down and went to sit herself, but froze when she heard the sound of someone clearing their throat, obviously annoyed. She looked around and saw a leather armchair tucked into the corner, with Byakuya planted firmly there. 

“O-oh I’m sorry, I can f-find another place.” Toko pushed her chair back in, but Byakuya spoke before she could even lift her case. 

“No, it’s fine. Just try not to be too irritating, I have things to do.”

“I’m g-going to be w-writing. It’s k-kinda loud.” Even as she said this, she opened her case and started taking out her typewriter. 

“That’s fine.” Byakuya was already sucked back into his book. Toko checked the time and saw it was only eleven in the morning. With that, she left herself get lost in her writing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wahoo, sorry this one took a min to get out. i have a good amount written n was able tkk on get it all beta read tho so. idk why it clears the tabbing whenever i post and i apologize ik it’s ugly


	4. Chapter 4

Barely a week of school had passed, and Toko’s schedule was already cemented. Komaru and her started to get along better and had coffee every morning before they went downstairs and parted ways for breakfast. Toko ate with Byakuya and Kyoko. Celestia joined them occasionally, but Byakuya made his distaste towards her clear and often snapped at her. She always wanted to gossip, which Byakuya claimed he had no time for. After eating they’d all disperse towards their classes, and everyday like clockwork Toko and Byakuya would meet in their hidden nook of the library.

Today, thankfully, Celestia was absent. Toko didn’t know where she went when she wasn’t with them but she didn’t care either. Celestia always tried to push Toko out of the group, or worse, tell her what to do. When that happened, Kyoko would often step in and remind Toko that she doesn’t need to listen to anyone. Byakuya asked Toko to do things for him all the time but it was different with him. Celestia was mean and demanding, obviously insecure, whereas Byakuya was calm and confident. Toko nervously chewed at her nails thinking of the all the things she’d gladly do for him. 

Suddenly, the announcement system came to life, reminding the students that they had ten more minutes to get to their first period. Toko stood up quickly and took care of Byakuya’s and her’s breakfast like she did everyday. Kyoko had disappeared as soon as the announcement started, but that wasn’t anything new. Byakuya straightened his jacket and gave Toko a small wave before leaving.

Toko smiled and hurried off towards her first class, creative writing The elevator was packed with as many students as would fit. Toko’s nose was inches away from the door and anytime someone shifted behind her, something caught and tugged on one of her braids. 

The ride up felt like forever, but the elevator finally stopped at the first floor. Some of the students got off with Toko, but most stayed on as the elevator left again. Toko’s classroom was only a few doors down, and she made her way to her seat near the back quickly. Most days were just a free period to write, but they were being assigned a new project today. 

The teacher made her way to the front of the class, and started writing on the board. Class hadn’t started yet, and other students were still wandering around and talking loudly. Toko had become acquainted with some of the other students, but she didn’t know them well. 

“Good morning Toko!” Chihiro said as she sat in the desk next to Toko’s. 

“M-morning.” Toko smiled and waved just as the final bell rang and class started. The teachers voice was high pitched and grated on Toko’s ears as she greeted the class. 

“I hope you all payed attention to the syllabus and saw that today we’re starting our first big project. The fantasy world is important for any writer to master, and we’re starting with world building...” The teacher kept talking but Toko zoned out. She had figured that this class would be useless and so far it had proven her right. Her book sales only went up with each new release and when would she ever write a fantasy book? Romance was her specialty and it was yet to fail her. 

Before she realized, class was almost over. The person in front of her passed a packet back to her with notes from the teachers lecture and a worksheet that was meant to guide them through the world building process. Toko stuffed it into her bag and moved to stand near the door with everyone else. 

“Toko, will you stay behind a moment?” The class looked from the teacher to Toko. Toko tugged at her hair nervously and made her way to the teachers desk. The bell rang and the rest of the class left. 

“W-what’s wrong?” 

“There’s nothing wrong , persay, but I wanted to talk about your performance in this class. I can tell you’re uninterested, and I’m sure you see this as pointless.”

“Why w-wouldn’t I? I work with an editor every week and m-my careers set in s-stone.”

“That’s true, but I still potential in you. A great writer is always looking for a new story to write. Your romance novels are excellent, but haven’t you ever thought about other genres?”

“I’m fine with romance. The m-meaning behind them is much deeper than l-love. It’s n-not something that can be shown w-with a stupid dwarf and a magic r-ring.” Toko’s teacher sighed in defeat. 

“Atleast try to do your best in this class. You can go.”

Toko turned and left the classroom quickly. How could that stupid teacher think that she knew more about writing than her? Toko had googled her before class to see if she was a writer and there were no results, unless she wrote under a pseudonym, but that was unlikely. Toko hurried to her next class and sat down, pulling out her math notebook. 

“Are you okay?” Toko looked up at Komaru standing in front of her desk. 

“Yes, I’m fine.” Toko snapped. She had forgotten Komaru was in this class and didn’t fancy talking to her right now. 

“You’re obviously upset, what’s wrong?”

“Nothings wrong, s-shouldn’t you be getting r-ready for class anyw-way?”  
Komaru pouted, got her things out like Toko recommended and class began. 

The class ended and Toko left as quickly as she could to avoid talking to Komaru. She was certain she’d bring it up later, but the longer she could put it off the better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wahoo, sorry this one took a min to get out. i have a good amount written n was able tkk on get it all beta read tho so. idk why it clears the tabbing whenever i post and i apologize ik it’s ugly


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this ones. short but i’ll post the next one soon

Another meaningless class passed by and with that lunch began. Toko realized how much she liked salads, despite never having them as a child, and was thrilled to find that the school was serving chicken caesar today. She waited in line for what felt like forever. The people around yelled across the room to each other and kept bumping into Toko without care. Once she reached the front she quickly checked out and headed to her table. Kyoko never ate lunch with Byakuya and her. 

“So how have your classes b-been?” 

“Good enough. I really expected this so-called greatest school to be more challenging than it is, but I suppose it is only the first week.”

“Yeah, that r-ridiculous creative w-writing teacher keeps trying to give me advice. I l-looked into her and she hasn’t written a s-single book, atleast n-nothing good enough to be p-published.” Byakuya laughed at that and Toko felt her chest swell with pride. It was hard to get even a smile from the man, much less a laugh. 

The perfect moment was ruined in an instant. Komaru slammed her tray down next to Toko and took a seat. 

“So are you going to talk to me or what? I’m not stupid, I know somethings wrong. I don’t want to listen to you mutter all night the way you do, so get it out now.”

Byakuya ignored Komaru, keeping his eyes on Toko. 

“And who is this?” He raised an eyebrow, obviously annoyed with Toko’s company. 

“J-just my roommate.. Komaru c-can we talk later? W-we’re trying to eat.” 

“You can’t keep shrugging me off!”

“Komaru, l-later. Please.” Toko forced herself to make eye contact with Komaru, who huffed and stomped away. 

“How obnoxious.” Byakuya hardly seemed disturbed, but Toko could tell he was pissed. 

“S-she’s sweet once you get to-“ Byakuya cut Toko off before she could finish. 

“Go get me a coffee please. Hurry up too, lunch is about to end and that annoying girl has already given me a headache.” Toko stood up shakily and found her way to the coffee pot, making Byakuya’s coffee the same way she’d already done dozens of times before. Barely a splash of cream and one small scoop of sugar. She got back to the table just in time for the bell to ring. 

Toko could hardly pay attention to her classes, dreading seeing Komaru later that night. After her final class, she headed to the library like she always did. She made it to the corner that Byakuya and her had claimed quickly. She had finished most of her homework during her classes, aside from the worksheet from creative writing. 

Byakuya soon joined Toko at the table, and they worked in silence. Toko was surprised when Byakuya sat right next to her, usually he stayed in the armchair in the corner. Toko kept pausing in her work and fidgeting with her pencil, or nervously adjusting her braids. Byakuya was working on some high level math class and the scratching of pencil on paper and the periodic clicks of his calculator was the only sound heard in the library. Toko shifted in her seat, inching toward Byakuya. He didn’t seem to notice, and Toko smiled to herself before continuing her work. She was close enough to smell his cologne, obviously something expensive, it smelled like rich sandalwood with a hint of something sweeter, maybe lavender? She sighed happily as she scribbled out some nonsense about different magical systems in fantasy writing. Toko yawned and shifted her weight. This assignment was mindnumbingly boring. 

“If you want to lean on me, just say so. Just be careful not to wrinkle anything.” Toko blushed dark red. She really wasn’t trying to drop any hints, she just wanted to be close. She couldn’t imagine a world where someone she was interested in actually liked her? Everyone had always made fun of her and and hated her. Toko started shaking, her breathing picking up speed. Suddenly, Byakuya put his arm around Toko. She froze before melting into his embrace. Byakuya held her stiffly, but didn’t pull away. The wool tweed of his jacket scratched at Toko’s cheek, but she stayed happily tucked under his arm, barely able to focus enough to finish her work.

Byakuya was still working by the time Toko had finished. She read over each question and response slowly, procrastinating leaving. She felt. Loved? She wasn’t sure what to call it, but it was definitely a new feeling. The thought of leaving felt painful, not just because of how comfortable she was. She still had to deal with Komaru, and Toko was sure she’d be waiting for the moment she arrived. Toko checked the time, and it was about time for dinner to be served in the cafeteria. She watched as Byakuya finished the last of the lengthy math problems he had been assigned. 

“W-we should probably g-get going,” Toko said and stuffed her homework into her bag. 

“I suppose you’re right. Why don’t you go ahead and hold a table? I’ll be there in a moment.”

“O-oh okay.” Toko had hoped that they could walk together, but it figured that her luck wouldn’t go that far. She grabbed her bag and left while Byakuya messed around with something in his bag. 

Toko skipped the food line and went right to the table. Kyoko was already there, reading and eating at the the same time. 

“No Byakuya? Usually you two come in together.”

“I-I don’t know. H-he said he had to do something, b-but didn’t tell me what.” Kyoko simply nodded in agreement and went back to her book. Toko wasn’t hungry at all. She decided to just get a drink, and got through the line swiftly with a soda. She wasn’t partial to overly sweet drinks, but one every once and a while couldn’t hurt. 

By the time Toko got back to the table, Byakuya was there too. Sitting where he usually sat next to Kyoko. Toko tried not to get upset, but it hurt. 

“Not hungry?” Byakuya asked, gesturing to Toko’s drink. 

“N-not really. I think I’m j-just going to go upstairs.” Byakuya gave Toko a look, but didn’t say anything. Kyoko was so absorbed in her reading she might as well have not been at the table with them at all. Toko walked away and as she waited for the elevator, she remember Komaru. Hopefully she’d be eating when Toko got to their dorm, and she could hide in her room. 

As soon as Toko turned the key in the door, she heard someone, undoubtedly Komaru, shuffling around inside. She let out a heavy sigh and opened the door, knowing that she couldn’t put off anything any longer.

“Toko! Come on and sit down.” Komaru had lept up from her spot on the couch as soon as she had heard Toko outside of the dorm. She tried to take her hand and pull her to the couch, but Toko pulled away. 

“I can w-walk fine.”

“Why are you so upset for no reason? You snapped at me in class, were all pissy at lunch and now you’re acting like I’m the bitch.”

“It d-doesn’t have anything to do w-with you, it’s just s-something with a dumb c-class, okay?”

“Well that’s not fair. You don’t get to take your issues out on me!” Toko stilled. 

“You’re r-right. I’m s-sorry.” Toko picked at her fingers nervously. 

“I appreciate your apology.” Komaru seemed to notice Toko’s sudden mood change and decided to let it go. After a few beats of silence, Toko left and hid in her room for the rest of the night.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OKAY i have been. nervous to say the least to post this. this chapter starts to get more into toko’s relationship w syo and all that. again, i’m trying my best to write DID well but PLEASE call me on it if anything is incorrect. i understand that how syo is in this chapter is is how it would be all the time in real life, but i personally don’t think i have to skill to write like that.

The next morning Toko woke up feeling fuzzy. It was a familiar feeling, though it had been awhile since she’d felt it. It felt like she was floating through her morning routine on autopilot. She could tell Syo was near the front, but not enough to take any control, more like she was watching over Toko’s shoulder. Toko figured it was only fair for Syo to be able to see and do everything with Toko as she probably would get the chance to front at all while they were in school. Toko wanted her to be able to but all the times Syo had fronted in public had ended badly thus far. She tended to act first, think later which caused a lot of problems with how fiery she was. 

Toko brushed out her hair, yanking at the stubborn knots. She almost got it cut short once but panicked when the stylist tried washing her hair in the sink. After brushing it she covered it with dry shampoo and spread it through the best she could. Luckily it was Saturday, so she didn’t have to worry about being late for anything. 

“I think you should probably shower soon. I know it’s scary but dry shampoo can only get you so far,” Syo’s voice rung in Toko’s head clear as day. Toko tugged at her hair anxiously. She knew it was true, but she was putting it off for as long as she could. 

“I can do it if you need me too, then you won’t have to deal with it.”

“N-no no I-I can do it. I d-don’t want something to-to go wrong. K-Komaru doesn’t know y-yet.” Toko knew what Syo’s response would be before she even said it. Toko sat down, braiding and rebraiding a small piece of her hair nervously. 

“Toko. I know it’s not fun but it’s only fair to her and us if she knows. I’m sure you could talk to the school so she won’t tell anyone else if you wanted.”

“I-I know. I’m just. I’m n-not ready.”

“It’s okay not to be ready, okay? But you can’t put it off forever.”

Toko nodded and started to get dressed. Byakuya had told Toko that he was going home to his parents’ on the weekends. Something about the school food being subpar to his chefs at home. Toko slipped on a comfy dark red turtleneck and a grey skirt. She pulled her hair into a bun, not wanting to bother with braiding it. It would only show how greasy it was anyways. 

When Toko left her room, Komaru was already on the couch with her coffee. She still seemed half asleep, and only gave a nod to Toko as she made her own coffee. Toko sat on the opposite side of the couch from Komaru. Komaru was on her phone, and Toko hoped she wouldn’t bring up last night again. 

“Tokiiii,” Komaru said sleepily. 

“W-what?” Toko didn’t understand the nickname in the slightest. 

“Will you go out with me today?” Toko turned dark red and shot Komaru a look. She heard Syo giggle loudly. Komaru stopped, looking embarrassed as well. 

“I-I... N-no!” 

“I didn’t mean it like that! I just meant like. go out. I heard that Byakuya’s gone and I thought maybe we could do something. There’s a mall nearby, and we could bring friends too if you wanted.” 

“I-I don’t have any f-friends to bring. Are y-you just m-making fun of me?!” Toko’s voice trembled. 

“No of course not! If you don’t want to go, that’s okay too.”

“I’ll th-think about it. I’m gonna g-go get b-breakfast.” Toko left and headed downstairs. She got through the line quickly with a bagel and sat at her table. She sat alone, it figured that the everyone else would go home. The cafeteria felt empty compared to the normal crowds. Toko hadn’t realized how many people lived in the city. She heard Komaru’s laugh and turned slightly, seeing her sitting with Makoto, Aoi, and a few others. She thought for a moment that she should join them, but decided against it and finished eating alone. Komaru waved to Toko as she passed by, but Toko just nodded in acknowledgement and kept walking. 

Once back in the dorm, Syo spoke up again. 

“I don’t think you should go today, I mean did you even know any of those people?”

“I-I knew a couple.. and I haven’t left the school since l-last week.” 

“This place is huge, there’s gotta be something new to do.” 

“N-not really. I w-want to go. It s-sounds fun.” Toko picked at her fingers nervously. She really did want to go, but she was anxious. She had never gone anywhere with anyone before. 

“I don’t know, it makes me worried.” 

“D-do you think they’re b-bad people?” Toko bit her finger, her anxiety increasing. 

“I don’t know hun. I just don’t want you to get hurt.” 

“If th-things get bad we can j-just leave. W-we could walk b-back.”

Before Syo could respond, Komaru burst in. She was wide awake after eating and sat down with Toko excitedly.

“Soooo have you decided yet?” Komaru asked. 

“I’ll go. I-I need to fix m-my hair first.” Toko heard Syo sigh and could tell she had retreated into her inner world. 

“Can I do it?! You’re hairs so long and pretty,” Komaru said as she reached out to touch the pieces of hair Toko had missed. Toko pulled away suddenly. 

“N-no, I’ll do it m-myself.” Komaru pouted, but Toko ignored her and went to her room to do her hair. She pulled her hair down and brushed it out before putting it into her usual braids. Toko dug through her closet, trying to find something nicer to wear, but came up empty handed. All of her extra clothes had arrived the other day, but it wasn’t much. Just sweater after sweater and skirt after skirt, all in the same muted pallete. Before heading back into the living room she found the crumpled $50 bill she had managed to swipe from her father before she left. She didn’t think was going to spend any of it, but she wanted to be prepared. 

Komaru was already ready in the living room. She was wearing a short blue pleated skirt and a shirt with some anime reference on it. 

“Ready to go?” Toko nodded and followed Komaru towards the elevator. 

“S-so who’s coming?”

“Makoto, Aoi, and Sakura. Mondo and Taka were going to come, but they’re off doing something else.” The elevator stopped and Toko and Komaru met the rest of the group in the main entrance. 

“All ready?” Makoto sounded like an elementary school teacher as he led the group out of the building. The group talked and laughed about whatever, but Toko stayed quiet near the back. She stuck close to Komaru, since she was the only person she actually knew in the group. Sakura, the tall girl Toko had seen with Aoi, scared her and she didn’t dare look at her unless she had to. Komaru nudged Toko and Toko looked up just in time to not run into Aoi, who had stopped at the edge of the curb. 

“How have your classes been? You’ve hardly spoken.” 

The group looked at Toko as they waited to cross and Toko looked away to avoid eye contact. 

“It’s been f-fine. S-same as every other y-year.”

“No way! This is way harder than any other year!” Aoi exclaimed as the group started to cross the road. 

“M-maybe for you.” Toko fidgeted with her braids. Aoi huffed, upset, but didn’t say anything. Komaru shot Toko a look. 

“Aren’t you in that writing class? I heard the teacher was super chill,” Makoto piped in. 

“Yeah I g-guess she g-grades nicely. Sh-she’s irritating th-though. I d-don’t know w-why I n-need that class if I already h-have an editor and p-publisher.” 

“Yeah, that makes sense. Atleast it’s easy though,” Makoto said, trying to sound encouraging. 

Toko cursed under her breath. She was ruining everyone’s good mood with her pessimism and she could tell. She let herself fall a few paces behind the group, going silent again. She made sure to stay close enough to still follow the group, but staying away as to not be bothersome. Occasionally Komaru would glance over her shoulder and give Toko a warm smile, but Toko didn’t return it. 

For the second time that day, Toko almost slammed into Aoi as the group stopped in front of the mall. The building was one story, but still huge. They all went in, and stopped by one of the tall maps on the wall. 

“So where to first?” Makoto asked. 

“Food court? I’m starving,” Aoi suggested. 

“But we just had breakfast?” Komaru questioned. Aoi pouted, and went back to looking at the map. Toko peered over Komaru’s shoulder, looking at the stores. 

“S-Schulers? Th-that’s a b-book store, r-right?”

“Yeah! They even have a café if you wanted a snack!” Komaru said, looking for the groups approval. Sakura just nodded, not seeming to care. 

“Yeah! They have great food!” Aoi nodded excitedly. 

“I guess it seems fine.” Makoto didn’t seem as enthusiastic. 

“There’s other stores by it, if you wanted to go somewhere else while we were there,” Komaru added. Makoto shrugged and with that the group started off towards the book store. 

It was a short walk from where they started. Somewhere along the way Makoto had split off, but Toko didn’t pay attention to where he went. Komaru held the door open for everyone else, and before Toko realized Aoi and Sakura were gone, most definitely to the café. 

“Soo are you looking for anything specific?” Komaru asked. 

“I-I don’t know. The sch-school has all the b-books I n-need. M-maybe notebooks?”

“Oh yeah, they have all kinds of notebooks, cmon!” Komaru grabbed Toko’s hand and pulled her toward the wall of notebooks. As soon as they stopped, Toko pulled away like her hand was burned. She didn’t know if Komaru noticed her discomfort, but she just turned her attention to the notebooks. There were rows and rows of leather bound books, with all different shades and carvings on the covers, lined and unlined. You name it, and the option was there. 

“I can’t believe they have so many, how could you choose?”

“R-right. I-I don’t know if I c-could.”  
Komaru picked up a book with a rough leather binding and a thin cord that wrapped around it, sealing it shut. She unwound the cord and flipped through the pages inside. She turned it towards Toko to show her the neatly lined pages. Toko picked up another, much more refined note book. The leather was smooth and shiny, with a simply carving of a feather quill. The feather had been painted a rich blue. Toko ran her finger over the smooth gold gilded edge. 

“Woah that ones really pretty,” Komaru said, leaning over Toko’s shoulder. “How much is it?” 

“I d-don’t know.” Toko flipped the notebook over, finding the sticker. 

“It’s th-thirty dollars.” Toko sighed and set the notebook back on the shelf. She didn’t need to spend thirty dollars on something like that, as beautiful as it was. 

“Aw cmon Toki.” Komaru picked the notebook back up again. 

“Th-that’s most of my m-money. And I have p-plenty of paper. And w-what’s with the n-nickname, it d-doesn’t m-make any sense.” 

“It’s just cute.” Komaru shrugged. “I could get it for you if you wanted, my parents sent me some money.”

“N-no it’s fine. I d-don’t need it.” 

“Pleaseee it’s so pretty and I know you want it.” Toko crossed her arms in response to Komaru’s begging. 

“I’m f-fine.” Toko refused to budge. She didn’t want to have to owe anyone anything. Komaru put the notebook back, defeated. 

“Can we look at the manga section?!” Komaru had already perked up again. 

“I g-guess.” 

Komaru looked around for the sign labeled manga, before excitedly leading Toko towards it. Komaru stopped in front of the shelves, scanning the titles. 

“Do you like manga Toki?” Toko scoffed at the idea. 

“Th-they’re hardly even r-real literature. It’s j-just p-pictures.” 

“No true! They tell great stories!” Komaru exclaimed defensively. 

“Hmph. If y-you insist.” Toko rolled her eyes and wandered down the aisle. Komaru seemed to have found what she was looking for and pulled it off the shelf. 

“Try this one! You’ll really like it and you can read it after I’m done.” Komaru thrust the book into Toko’s hands, not giving her the option to say no. Toko looked at the cover. It was a boy and girl standing next to eachother surrounded by pink flower petals, the title was in big font at the top. Your Lie In April. 

“What d-does that even m-mean?” Toko questioned as she handed to book back to Komaru. 

“No spoilers! You’ll see once you’ve read it.”

“I’m n-not reading th-this!” Toko looked disgusted at the thought. 

“Pleaasee?” Komaru pouted at Toko. “Oh! I’ll read something that you want and we can trade books like a book club!”

“Th-that’s not how b-book clubs w-work.” Toko sighed and thought for a moment. “I’ll r-read your d-dumb manga. B-but you can’t t-tell anyone. And you h-have to r-read the b-book I choose.” 

Komaru flapped her hands excitedly and Toko gave her a half smile, before wandering off to find a book for Komaru. She didn’t want to buy the book, but she thought she’d look while they were at Schulers and then she could get it from the library later. She looked over the shelves carefully, running her finger along the titles. Finally she found what she was looking for, and pulled it off the shelf. 

Komaru made her way to where Toko was standing, and looked at the book Toko had chosen. 

“Looking for Alaska?” 

“Y-yeah. It’s r-really g-good.” 

“I’ll take your word for it,” Komaru smiled as she put the book into a basket that she had picked up from somewhere along with the manga that she had picked out for Toko and her. 

“Oh, I-I’m n-not buying it. I w-was just going to g-get it from the l-library.”

“I was gonna get it! If it’s a recommendation from you, I’m sure it’s good.”   
Toko felt herself blush and looked away. 

“S-so are you r-ready to go y-yet?”

“Yeah! Lets go find Aoi and Sakura.” Komaru started off towards the café with Toko trailing behind her. Aoi waved to Komaru through the window and Komaru waved back as a way of saying that Toko and her were ready to go. Toko watched as Aoi and Sakura collected their food things and cleared the table they had been at. 

“Toki, willl you wait in line with me to check out? I don’t wanna wait around alone.” Toko nodded and followed Komaru up to check out. The line wasn’t long at all, and Toko couldn’t see why Komaru couldn’t stand alone, but she didn’t mind. The pair met up with Aoi and Sakura outside of the book store. 

“Where’s Makoto again?” Aoi asked. 

“He didn’t say, he just said he needed new jeans or something and wandered off.” Komaru shrugged, unworried. 

“So where to next then?” Sakura spoke up, and her voice startled Toko. She realized that she had never heard Sakura speak before and the depth of her voice was shocking in a way.

“Hm, what about H&M? They always have cute stuff,” Komaru suggested. 

“Yeah, that sounds good,” Aoi agreed.   
“I’ll go wherever,” Sakura said with a shrug.   
Komaru looked to Toko, waiting for a response, and Toko just nodded dismissively. 

“If you don’t wanna go, we can find somewhere else.”

“I-I don’t know. I’ve n-never been there b-before.” 

“Really? Well now we have to go!” Komaru exclaimed. Aoi nodded excitedly and led the group the few store fronts down to H&M. 

Toko looked around the store; it smelled oddly like chemicals used for cleaning and Toko’s nose scrunched up in response. 

“Look, they have skirts like the ones you wear.” Komaru pulled Toko over to a rack of long skirts of all different colours.   
“This one matches your sweater,” Komaru said excitedly as she pulled a dark red skirt from the rack. 

“I-I don’t r-really need any n-new clothes.” Toko crossed her arms. “Th-there’s nothing w-wrong with m-my clothes.”

“That’s not what I meant at all! New clothes are just fun.”

“Hey Komaru, we’re gonna go over to the sportswear stuff,” Aoi stated before heading away with Sakura. 

“Let’s go over here, they have all kinds of sweaters and shirts to choose from.” Komaru pulled a shirt off the rack that was a light grey and freckled with small doodles of daisies. 

“This would look so cute on you, what size do you wear? They should have it in your size.”

“I-I don’t know, I-I think I’d just g-get cold.”

“Cold?”  
“It’s short s-sleeved, I-I get cold easily.” Toko was making excuses at this point. She felt out of place in the bright store surrounded by pretty, girly clothes. 

“Well, what about this one?” Komaru put the t-shirt back and pulled a knitted sweater out. It was a dark blue with a small white crescent moon embroidered on the chest. 

“I-It’s cute. I-I really don’t n-need any clothes.” 

Komaru sighed and decided to give up on clothes. She was determined to find something nice for Toko on this trip, but Toko was making it extremely difficult. 

“Lets go look at the hair stuff, they have all kinds of cute clips and things,” Komaru suggested hopefully. Toko followed her to the shelves and looked around. There were plenty of pretty things, but they all just looked too nice for her. She didn’t need anything fancy. 

“Look at these ones!” Komaru held up a set with different coloured hearts on a few small barrettes.” 

“I d-don’t think they’re r-really match anything I w-wear.”

“I guess you’re right, they’re really bright. What about this?” Komaru showed Toko a headband with a simply red bow on top, slightly off center. 

“This s-stuff j-just isn’t my th-thing.”  
Komarus eyes lit up, and she grabbed a package off the shelf.

“Toko you have to get these, or at least let me get them for you. These are perfect.”   
Toko looked over and the set Komaru was holding were small pins with different sized silver stars in all different sizes, from about the size of Toko’s pinky nail up to an inch. 

“Y-you don’t think th-they’re too m-much?” 

“I think they’re going to look amazing! I have an idea on what to do with them too!” Toko looked nervous. “If you let me do your hair atleast. I know you don’t like it.” 

“I- Okay. B-but only o-once, okay?”

“Yes! Cmon let’s go find the other two.”   
Toko followed Komaru towards where the other girls had been. 

“Did you find anything good?” Aoi asked, holding a few hangers. 

“Yeah! Look at how pretty these are!” Komaru held the clips up to Toko’s hair suddenly, and Toko flinched. 

“Oh, um I’m sorry.” Komaru stepped away from Toko. Toko didn’t say anything as the other girls showed off what they had found. 

“I-I think I’m g-going to sit down outside f-for a moment,” Toko interrupted. The other three girls looked mildly concerned but didn’t say anything as Toko left the store. Outside was a small sitting area with a few tall fake palm trees. Toko plopped into one of the armchairs. Anxiety was starting to set in; everything about her was ruining this trip. 

Toko was sure she was annoying Komaru and she hadn’t meant to be mean to Aoi she just wasn’t thinking. She never did. Toko started to tear up, but forced herself not to cry. She looked around for a bathroom, and as soon as she spotted one she headed right towards it. She locked herself in one of the stalls before finally letting herself cry. She didn’t know what she was doing trying to pretend that she belonged here. Since when did she ever go to the mall, much less with other people? Toko pulled her phone out, planning to text Komaru that she wasn’t feeling good and heading back to the school.   
Just as she unlocked her phone, she heard Komaru say her name as she burst into the bathroom.


	7. chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay i gave up to chapter 8 done i’ll try to post them all this week :) sorry i stopped writing for a bit and forgot to keep posting

“Toko, are you in here?” Komaru asked quietly. Toko didn’t respond, debating on whether she should answer. Before she could choose, Komaru spoke again. 

“Toko I can see your shoes under the stall door. Are you okay?” 

“I-I’m n-not feeling good, I d-don’t know w-what happened. I think I-I’m going b-back to the d-dorm.” 

“What’s wrong, you sound like you’ve been crying?” Komaru’s voice was filled with worry. “Can you come out here? It’ll be easier to talk.”  
Toko absolutely did not want to. And yet, she wiped her face on her sleeve and opened he stall door, stepping out. 

“I-I’m just g-gonna go.” Toko tried to pass Komaru to leave, but Komaru planted herself directly in front of her and Toko ran into her. 

“Hey hey,” Komarus voice was much gentler now, and she put her hands on Toko’s shoulders. “What’s wrong?”

The idea that Komaru might actually care about her... or maybe she was just pretending. Either way, Toko stared to cry again. She cursed herself, but the tears wouldn’t stop. Without saying anything, Komaru hugged Toko. Toko tried to stutter out an apology, but was too overwhelmed. 

“Let’s just go, okay? I’ll come with you, I’ll let the others know.” 

Toko nodded and let Komaru hold her hand and guide her away. Toko swallowed back her tears as they walked down the street, refusing to make any eye contact. They got back to the school before Toko had even noticed, and Komaru pulled her onto the elevator. Toko had mostly stopped crying at this point, and the pair stood silently. 

Toko was humiliated that she had let herself breakdown in from of Komaru. When she tried to take Toko’s hand again, Toko pulled away. Komaru unlocked their dorm and held the door open for Toko. 

“Did something happen? I-I’m sorry if I said something wrong.” Komaru apologized as Toko situated herself on the couch. 

“I-it’s not you, I-I just. I p-panicked. I’m s-sorry I r-ruined your d-day.”

“No it’s okay! You didn’t ruin anything.” 

“I’m j-just going t-to l-lay down.” Komaru still seemed worried, but she didn’t make any move to stop Toko as she went to her room. 

Toko kicked her shoes off before laying down and completely covering herself with her comforter. She curled into a ball, hoping to fall asleep. 

While it felt like she had only dozed off for a moment, when Toko woke and checked her phone, hours had passed and it was already four in the afternoon. Toko sat up and rubbed her eyes, trying to wake up more. She did her best to smooth out her crumpled clothes as she got up and slid her glasses on. She wasn’t sure if Komaru was still around, but she was hoping not to see her. She recalled the melt down she had earlier and her face went hot with shame. 

Toko crept from her room and peeked around the corner. She couldn’t see Komaru, but she could see the tv, which was playing some animated movie. She continued towards the living area, and as she suspected, Komaru was stretched out on the couch. 

“I-is it okay if I s-sit with y-you?”

Komaru hadn’t heard Toko leave her room and was startled upright when Toko spoke. 

“Yeah of course! You scared me, I didn’t hear you come in.” Komaru sat up, leaving a space where Toko sat down. 

“O-oh I’m s-sorry I didn’t m-mean too,” Toko said shakily, taking up as little space as she could on the couch. 

“It’s okay, it’s no big deal. Have you seen this one before?”Komaru gestured to the screen as she spoke. 

“I-I don’t know, w-what is it?”

“It’s Tangled! You know, the best movie on earth?” Toko had never even heard of it before, and Komaru picked up on her confusion.

“Oh my god, I’ll restart it. It’s brilliant.” 

Toko was indifferent as Komaru rewound the movie. As it played, Komaru was mouthing practically every line and sang every song perfectly. Occasionally mid song, Komaru would make eye contact with Toko and and pretend to sing to her, which made Toko giggle although she’d never admit it. 

A scene played where Rapunzel’s long hair was braided, and Komaru looked over at Toko excitedly. 

“Toki can I do your hair now?!” Komaru asked excitedly. She paused the movie and turned towards the smaller girl. 

“I-“ Toko tried to think up an excuse for a moment before giving up. “I guess.”

Toko unbraided her hair, combing through it carefully with her fingers. 

“W-where should I s-sit?”

Komaru thought for a moment before pulling the coffee table closer to the couch. 

“I think it’ll be easier if you sit on the table right here,” Komaru said, patting the space in front of her.

“On the t-table?” Toko looked the table over. It looked cheaply made, she wasn’t sure if it could hold her. 

“It should be fine, you hardly weigh anything anyways.”

Toko wasn’t quite sure if she believed Komaru, but regardless she carefully slid onto the table. It stayed strong underneath of her, and she situated herself in front of Komaru. 

“I-is this okay?” Toko asked, looking over her shoulder at Komaru. 

“Almost, can you move just a bit like this?” Komaru put her hands on Toko’s shoulders and gently turned her, angled her just right. Toko blushed, hoping that Komaru wouldn’t notice. 

“B-be gentle okay?” No one had ever touched Toko’s hair other than herself. She wasn’t sure what it even felt like. She started chewing her finger nervously as Komaru carefully pulled all of Toko’s hair together. Without thinking Toko pulled away. 

“Are you okay?” Komaru stopped. 

“I’m o-okay. I’ve j-just never had m-my hair done b-before.” 

“Never?” Komaru questioned, with disbelief. She started sorting Toko’s hair into pieces. Toko shook her head carefully, trying not to mess up Komaru. Starting at the top of Toko’s head, Komaru began braiding loosely. 

“My mom used to do my hair everyday. Even when I complained.” 

“Th-that must have b-been annoying.”

“Yeah, I miss it sometimes though. It’s nice not to have to worry about the little things like that sometimes.” 

“I g-guess. I’d r-rather do it right m-myself.” Unsure of how to respond to that, Komaru continued braiding Toko’s hair. When she finished, she let the long french braid rest over Toko’s shoulder. 

“Oh! I left the clips in my room! I’ll be right back.” Komaru skipped over to her room, and was back sitting on the couch quickly. She pulled the small container from the bag and opened it. She poured the clips on to the tables and sorted them by size. 

“This is gonna look so pretty..” Komaru said,   
mostly to herself. She started putting the clips in one at a time. Toko couldn’t see her, but it seemed like she was concentrating hard on the perfect placement for each star. 

“Done!” Komaru sat back some and flapped her hands excitedly. 

“Wait! Close your eyes and then we can do a reveal in the bathroom!”

“H-how am I supposed t-to g-get to the bathroom if I c-cant s-see?” Toko scoffed. 

“I’ll make sure you don’t run into anything , here.” Komaru held her hand out to Toko, who carefully got down from the coffee table. 

“I-I don’t know..”

“Don’t worry, I’ll make sure of it.”   
Toko took Komarus hand cautiously and closed her eyes. She tried to peek through her eyelashes, but all see could see was blurry shapes. 

“Ready?” Komaru started walking before Toko could answer. Toko gripped Komaru’s hand tightly as the pair stumbled towards the bathroom. 

“Careful, we’re about to go around the corner,” Komaru said. Toko turned slightly, hoping it was enough. 

“See we made it! Here.” Komaru turned Toko slightly so she was facing the mirror and fussed with her hair for a moment. 

“Okay you can open your eyes now.”

Toko did as Komaru said. She scanned the mirror. Her hair was in one long french braid, done in a way that it laid flat over her shoulder. The smalls stars were scattered randomly through her hair. Toko stroked the braid gently. 

“You look stunning Toki,” Komaru’s voice was quiet and gently. 

“T-there’s no r-reason t-to lie. The b-braid is n-nice I guess.” 

“I’m not lying! You really look pretty.” Komaru looked sad. 

“Y-you did a good job w-with m-my hair. Th-that’s all.” 

“Toko, look at me.” Komaru looked at Toko through the mirror. Toko looked back at her, barely able to keep eye contact. 

“You look beautiful. I’m not lying to you.” Worried filled Komaru’s face as Toko started to tear up. She wiped her face quickly and looked away. 

“Toki, what’s wrong?” Komaru lightly brushed a few stray hairs out of Toko’s face, who still refused to look at her. 

“I-I can’t t-tell if you’re just m-making fun of me... N-no ones ever c-called me p-pretty..” Toko choked up before she could finish her sentence. 

“Toki I-I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you. Cmere.” Komaru held her arms open to Toko, who hesitated for a moment before letting herself fall into them. Komaru hugged Toko tightly. 

“God I’m s-so f-fucking stupid..” Toko muttered. 

“Hey, it’s okay. Deep breaths okay?”

Toko nodded and took a shaky breath. Komaru pulled away from Toko. 

“If you want I can help you undo it,” Komaru offered. 

“N-no I l-like it.” Toko continued trying to steady her breathing. Komaru grinned and wiped away a few more stray tears. 

“Why don’t you go and finish the movie. Maybe it’ll help you feel better, we’re almost to the best part.”

“W-what about you?”

“I’m gonna run downstairs for some snacks, is there anything you want?” 

“I-I’m okay I think.” 

“I’ll be right back then,” Komaru said with a small smile. Komaru left quickly and Toko moved back to the couch, playing the movie. She could hardly focus. She couldn’t believe she had embarrassed herself so badly two times in one day. She fiddled with the clips in her hair. As nice as Komaru was, Toko still felt like she was being lied to. She wasn’t pretty. She never had been and never would be. That’s just how it was. No matter how nicely she dressed, it couldn’t distract from her, her everything.

As the movie finished, the dorm door opened slowly, and Komaru slipped in, her arms filled with all kinds of snacks and a few sodas. 

“Oh my gosh, this part always makes me cry,” Komaru sighed as she dumped everything onto the table. Rapunzel had finally reunited with her family. It was heart warming, but entirely expected. 

“Y-yeah it’s sweet.” Toko shrugged. She hasn’t have the chance to watch many movies as a child, but they were all about the same anyway. 

“Let’s watch another!” Komaru flopped onto the couch excitedly, grabbed the remote and started flicking through movie titles. 

“What kind of movies do you like?” Komaru paused her browsing for a moment to sort through the food she had brought up. She grabbed a bag of gummy worms and opened them, popping a few in her mouth before going back to scrolling. 

“I-I’ve never really w-watched movies. I’d r-rather read.” Toko briefly remembered the class parties in elementary school where they would watch movies, but they were only every for the holidays. The same ones every year too, The Nightmare Before Christmas, A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving, and Elf. At first it was fun, but she had grown to despise them. 

“Welllll what should we watch then?”

“I-I guess I d-don’t care.” Komaru grabbed more gummy worms and picked out some other kids movie. Toko really couldn’t be bothered. She had always been sort of a people watcher, and now here she was, watching Komaru out of the corner of her eye. Komaru was excitedly watching the movie, lipsyncing the funny parts and humming along with the music. She had opened one of the sodas as well as some MnMs and was alternating between eating the chocolate and the gummy worms. 

Toko yawned and slid down on the couch some. After a moment she finally laid down all the way, and was curled into a ball. She took her glasses off and tossed them towards the table before dozing off.


	8. chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> fucking around w formatting to make things more legible so expect all the chapters to move around in a minute :)

Toko was deep asleep in a dream. Her dream had thrust her into the life of a detective, who was hot on the trail of some criminal or another. She heard singing distantly, and as dreams are, she instinctively knew that was the criminal she was after. Toko raced along the cobbled road, and the clouds opened up and instantly started pouring on her, her long hair plastered to her face. She took a sharp turn, following the sound and slipped on the wet stone. She felt nothing as she hit the ground, making her realize that she was in fact, dreaming. The buildings started to blur and fade around her, but the singing remained as she started to sit up. 

“Hey, good morning.” Toko looked around, confused, and pushed the hair out of her eyes. 

“What..?” Toko blinked a few times to clear her vision, and Komaru was looking at her, humming the same song from Toko’s dream. Seeing Komaru’s face, Toko suddenly remembered everything that had happened. Her hands went to her hair, and she saw the hair pins piled on the coffee table. 

“You kept pulling on them while you were asleep and getting them tangled, so I just undid the braid,” Komaru said, seeing the confusion on Toko’s face. 

“O-oh uh thanks..” Toko ran her fingers through her hair nervously. The idea of someone touching her hair without her permission while she was sleeping.. felt wrong. It couldn’t have been that bad though, right? She had slept through it after all. 

“W-what t-time is it?” Toko asked, seeing that Komaru had a steaming mug of coffee. 

“9:47, I didn’t want to wake you up. You seemed exhausted.”

“N-nine in the m-morning?” Toko asked, sliding her glasses on. Komaru nodded.

“I know yesterday wasn’t the best day for you, so I figured you deserved to sleep in some.” Toko cringed internally remembering the day before. 

A comfortable silence fell over the small dorm, only interrupted by the sound of Komaru pouring coffee for Toko and setting the mug in front of her. Toko took a careful sip. Even though they had coffee together every morning for a week now, Toko blushed at the idea that Komaru knew how she had her coffee. As Komaru sat next to Toko, she realized that she had accidentally memorized how Komaru takes her coffee as well. A couple splashes of plain milk and as much honey as she could handle without her teeth rotting out. 

“Soo what are we doing today?” Komaru asked, sitting cross legged and resting her own coffee on her knee. 

“W-well I-I’m going to the l-library to work.. I-I don’t know about y-you,” Toko responded, her usual edge returning. Komaru pouted and elbowed Toko playfully. 

“Rude. I should probably do the same though, I don’t want to get behind so early in the year.” Toko had been thoroughly absorbed in her thoughts of the last time she had been in the library with Byakuya but was quickly brought back to reality when she realized Komaru was waiting for a response from her. 

“I-I wasn’t inviting you.. I-I’m sure ma- ah Byakuya will be meeting me there later anyway.” Toko took another long drink, pretending not to notice Komaru’s huffing. 

“Well I’m getting breakfast. I guess you can come if you want.” Komaru stood, left her coffee cup on the counter and left. Toko didn’t understand why she was so upset. It was quite obvious that Toko didn’t fit in with Komaru’s friends and the last thing she wanted to do was make a freak out of herself again. Hope’s Peak was supposed to be a new life for her, and the last thing she wanted to do was make herself an easy target for other kids. She had done that enough in the past. 

Toko went to her room to change and as she did she realized once again how badly she needed to shower. She took a deep breath and gathered her courage. She dug a towel out from the closet, grabbed a random assortment of clothes and tiptoed to the bathroom like she was trying to hide from something, but she didn’t know what. 

Toko took a wash cloth from the cupboard and stripped herself from the rest of her clothes, stepping into the tub. She stayed standing as she turned the water on, flinching when it splashed at her feet. Toko took a step back in an attempt to stay dry, and reached out to wet the washcloth. She took a bar of soap next and did her best to lather the damp rag before wiping herself down as quickly as possible. The soap was a light floral scent; Toko scrubbed a little harder, hoping the smell would stick to her skin. She rinsed the cloth until there were no suds left, wiped all the soap from herself and stepped out of the tub. 

Toko quickly wrapped herself in her towel, shivering slightly. She paused, staring at herself in the mirror. Her dirty hair hung loose and messy, sticking to her wet shoulders and neck uncomfortably. While her method of washing her body was tolerable enough, the idea of dunking her head in a sink of running water made her shudder with fear. Perhaps in the next few days she would become disgusted enough to fully shower, but today wasn’t it. Toko swiftly toweled herself dry and slipped into the clothes she had grabbed, a simple black turtleneck and navy blue skirt. She hung her towel up and decided to head to the cafeteria in search of breakfast. 

At the bottom of the elevator, Toko started towards the food line to examine her options. She settled on a yogurt and sat down alone to eat. Part of her had hoped that Byakuya would be back already, but she figured it wouldn’t be the case. The cafeteria was still mostly empty compared to the weekdays, and Toko took her time eating. Normally at the groups end table, Toko sat facing towards the wall with Byakuya and Kyoko facing towards her, but today she sat were Byakuya normally did, looking over the entire cafeteria. 

Toko watched the people coming in and out of the cafeteria intently. She had always been somewhat of a people watcher, and in a place like this where hardly anyone knew her it was easy. While she had originally thought that Celestia had gone home for the weekend, Toko spotted her in the opposite corner of the cafeteria, alone. She must have figured out quickly that no one would want to hang out with someone as antagonistic and gossipy as she was. Atleast, that’s what Toko thought, until a boy approached her and set a tray of food in front of her. Better him that herself at least. 

Toko finished eating and started out towards the library before realizing she had left everything she needed in her room. She sighed, making her way towards the elevator and slowly ascending. Unlocking the door, she stepped inside, where Komaru was sitting on the couch typing on her computer. Komaru looked up as Toko shut the door behind her. 

“Are you still going to the library?” Komaru asked. 

“Yeah, w-why?” Toko responded from her room, collecting her book bag and typewriter. 

“Can I come? I haven’t been there yet, and I figured if anyone would wanna go with me it’d be you.” Komaru was standing in Toko’s doorway when Toko turned around. 

“I-I guess..” Toko sighed. “B-but don’t expect a t-tour or anything like that, I-I have stuff to do.”

“Yay! I won’t be annoying I promise, I just need to grab a few things.” Komaru dashed into her room before returning with her school bag and a blanket over her arm. 

“W-why do you have a b-blanket?” Toko questioned, following behind Komaru as she  
stuffed her laptop and charger into her bag. 

“I don’t know, what if it’s cold and I wish I had it?”

“I-.. Okay,” Toko trailed off, deciding not to start bickering with the other girl. 

The pair left, the two of them silent all the way until they stood in front of the huge library entrance. 

“Wow this is way bigger than I thought it was going to be,” Komaru said, seemingly in awe. 

“We’re n-not even inside yet, c’mon,” Toko retorted, opening the door and waiting for Komaru to step through. Once she entered, Toko followed, letting the door quietly swing shut. Komaru stared at the massive shelves. Toko waited for a moment before ushering Komaru forward again, guiding her up the stairs. Once again Komaru got distracted, looking over the shelves slowly. 

“Ugh, I’ll be over here,” Toko said, becoming impatient. 

“Oh, okay!” Komaru responded, still running her fingers along the spines of the books. 

Toko sighed, leaving the other girl behind and finding her normal spot in the corner. She only had a few simple math sheets to finish before she could start writing. After a few minutes Komaru joined her with a small stack of books. 

“Are you.. checking all of those out?” Toko questioned. Komaru giggled. 

“No, I just read the first few pages of a bunch of books until one sticks!” 

“That is,” Toko paused, laughing at the ridiculousness of it, “absolutely appalling.” 

“Oh c’mon it’s not that bad!” Komaru pouted, grabbing the first book from her stack. Toko rolled her eyes, focusing back on her own work. 

Komaru had made her way through about half of the books, sorting them in a way that must have made sense to her, but only confused Toko. Toko had finally finished her homework and quickly stuffed it into her bag before lugging her heavy typewriter case onto the table with a thud. Her expert hands worked through the case, releasing the typewriter and pulling it out. Komaru peeked over her book, watching Toko as she started writing. 

“Whatcha workin onnnn?” Komaru asked. 

“N-nothing really. I just wr-write out any idea I have f-for the start of a story, j-just in case.” 

“Sooo what is it this time then?” 

“I had a w-weird dream l-last night, it was s-some mystery type story, so.. y-yeah.” 

“It must be awfully original to make anything, or to even be published.” Toko jumped at the new voice, and turned to see Byakuya. Komaru turned as well. 

“Oh, hello! I know you, but I’m Komaru Naegi!” She blurted excitedly. 

“Yes, I know, we’ve met once before,”Byakuya sighed, unamused, before settling into his seat. “The market is flooded with cheesy, low-level detective novels. To publish one and be successful you must have a truly groundbreaking story.” 

“I-I mean it’s more about k-keeping in the habit of wr-writing than creating a b-best seller,” Toko said quietly, feeling embarrassed. 

“Then it sounds like a waste of time, and therefore money.” 

“Oh, don’t be rude!! I think it’s an excellent strategy Toki!” Komaru exclaimed with a grin. Byakuya rolled his eyes and opened the book he had carried in with him. 

More time passed in silence, before Byakuya snapped his book shut, grabbing the attention of the two girls. 

“Toko,” She looked up towards Byakuya expectantly, “I’m finished with this garbage, would you take care of it for me? I would hope you’re familiar enough with the dewey decimal system to do so.” Toko stood hurriedly, moving to take the book from him. 

“Ah, y-yes I am, I’ll b-be right back.” Komaru gave Toko a confused look before she disappeared into the shelves. Komaru looked back at Byakuya, who was adjusting his watch, and did her best to glare at him. Toko returned after a moment, sliding back into the chair next to Komaru. 

“So if the book is so bad, why’d you even bother finishing it?” Komaru asked flatly. Toko glanced over at her, not understanding what caused the usually bubbly girl to change so suddenly. 

“I never leave things unfinished, it’s a bad habit for anyone to get into,” Byakuya responded, not giving Komaru so much as a look. 

“It sounds like a waste of time if you’re only finishing it because you feel like you have to. Like, completely unproductive.” 

“It makes sense that someone like you wouldn’t understand anyways. Are you done talking yet? I’m trying to read and your useless chatter is incredibly distracting.” Byakuya fixed his eyes on Komaru, giving her a near lethal stare. Toko trembled, wrapping her arms around herself. 

“Toki, can we go do something else, I’m bored.” Komaru looked toward Toko, electing to block out Byakuya completely. Toko looked up suddenly, snapped out of her mind. 

“Oh, I-I have work to d-do though..” Toko said nervously, biting at her finger harshly. 

“Cmon, we can work on it back at the dorm.” Komaru was already getting up and grabbing a few of her books, leaving the rest still on the table. Toko reluctantly began packing her work into her bag before Byakuya spoke up, interrupting her. 

“Are you actually going to go with her? She’s acting like an immature child over nothing.”

“You have got to be kidding me right now.” Komaru sighed. “Well I’m going back, I’m not going to make you come with me.” 

“Um I-I’ll be b-back l-later I think...” Toko’s voice was quiet and shaking, and Komaru gave her a gentle smile. 

“Just be safe, okay? Text me if you need anything.” Komaru shot one last scowl at Byakuya before turning on her heel and leaving. Toko hadn’t realized how involved Byakuya had actually gotten until his posture relaxed, releasing the tension he had been holding. 

“I-I’m s-sorry I d-don’t know why she w-was so upset, she’s usually really n-nice..” 

“It’s not your fault she was acting so irrationally.” Byakuya had pulled out another book at some point, and didn’t look up at Toko. Toko fussed with her papers anxiously, waiting for him to explode, but he just sat silently reading, seemingly unaffected. Toko carefully stacked the books Komaru had abandoned. 

“I’ll, ah, run these b-back.” Toko did her best to walk calmly around the corner, despite the fact that she was still shaking nervously. She racked her brain as she made her way through the shelves, trying to find what had set Komaru off. While it seemed like Komaru’s anger was targeting solely at Byakuya, but Toko couldn’t stop herself from worrying whether or not she had done something as well. She slid the first book on the stack into its place, readjusting a few books on either side that were out of place. 

Byakuya obviously wasn’t happy with her, she had assumed Komaru would be just as friendly as she always was, but now Byakuya was pissed. She shouldn’t have let Komaru come; she should have kept their hidden cove a secret just for them. Toko slid another book back into its place, cursing herself. How could she have been so stupid to think it just would have been fine? Of course something was going to go wrong, it always did. At least Byakuya hadn’t stormed off without her. The last two books Toko were holding were by the same author, and thus stuck together on the shelf. 

With nothing to distract her hands, Toko pulled at her hair, anxious to go back. She realized again then how bad she looked, greasy hair undone and falling around her shoulders and an outfit she had thrown together in seconds. She combed through her hair with her fingers the best she could, but she knew that there was only so much she could do. 

Toko gathered her courage and made her way back to the table, finding that Byakuya had moved to the table once again. Toko moved quietly, not wanting disturb him. She carefully sat down, seeing that he was still reading. 

Toko packed away her typewriter, worried the constant clicking would further upset Byakuya. 

“W-what are you reading?” Toko asked, nervously attempting to make small talk. 

“It’s fantasy series dealing with the seizing and take over of a government, as well as the people working to overthrow them. It follows the lost heir and her adopted family as they flee from the new government.” 

“Th-that s-sounds very interesting, is there m-magic or anything?” 

“Mhm, the book is called Magyk,” Byakuya turned the cover towards Toko for her to read herself, “The government has banned any magyk from being taught, but the family that takes in the princess is made up of all wizards.” 

“I-I’d like to read it after you, if you d-don’t m-mind that is..” 

“Here, I’ve only just started it.” Byakuya flipped back to the first page. He lifted his arm, gesturing for Toko to lean against him. Toko was stunned for a moment before happily obliging. She was so sure he was angry with her and yet here they were. For a moment her happiness faltered, scared that it was all a trick and he was going to hurt her and.. and then she felt Byakuya’s hand on her hair, petting it softly. She hadn’t noticed she was shaking until she stopped, unable to resist relaxing into his arms. 

“It’s alright, there’s nothing to be upset about. I know that the argument earlier upset you, but I’m here now.” Byakuya said quietly as he ran his hands through Toko’s hair, carefully avoiding each tangle. 

“Would you like me to start reading now?” Toko nodded, moving closer to Byakuya as the hand that had been petting her head moved back to the book. He began reading, and Toko closed her eyes, doing her best to focus on the words Byakuya was saying, more than just his voice. She tried keeping her eyes open as she grew tired, but soon exhaustion overtook her and she couldn’t stop herself from passing out leaned into Byakuya’s comforting touch.

**Author's Note:**

> Hey hey! Thanks so much for reading! This is my first time publishing my writing :) I’ll try to update consistently but no promises for now.


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